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Edmonton is expanding a program that cracks down on the owners of vacant, derelict businesses.

The community services committee of city council voted Monday in favour of continuing the project and adding a second by-law officer.

"One bad apple can rot an entire box and the same is true with one derelict building on a street," Ellie Sasseville, chair of the Business Revitalization Zone Council, told the committee.

Her council represents the 13 BRZ's in Edmonton and represents over 5,000 businesses, all of whom support the program and want to see it continue, she said.

The pilot program, which ran from June 1 to Dec. 31 last year, identified 51 vacant business property nuisance locations across the city during the first three months.

Of the properties identified, 13 have been fixed up or demolished, another dozen need immediate attention, and 30-plus still need to be dealt with, city staff told councillors.

"The fact the city received over 700 bylaw complaints over a 10-year period certainly demonstrates that prior to this pilot project, it would appear we were unable to make a real change in these buildings," Sasseville said.

Having one person dedicated to work with Alberta Health Services, other enforcement agencies and landlords has been a great help, she said.